Cop Pulls Over Google Car: Finds no Driver to Ticket

Posted on December 28, 2015 by editor

LAPD_Police_CarGoogle’s driverless car has been pulled over by police for driving too slow in Mountain View, Silicon Valley. The vehicle was stopped for doing 24mph in a 35mph zone.

Google self-driving cars have driven 1.3 million miles and haven’t managed to get a speeding ticket yet. One of them was stopped by a Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) deputy on the El Camino Real near Rengstorff Avenue, a public road about 2.3 miles from Google’s headquarters in California, not for breaking the speed limit, but for travelling “too slowly”, Continue reading →

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SkyDeck: The New First-Class Air Travel

Posted on December 21, 2015 by editor

Plane_wing-300x225Windspeed, a US aerospace company has recently introduced a potential airplane feature, SkyDeck, bubble-shaped viewing platform for the top of commercial aircraft that offers 360-degree views from the sky.

Windspeed Technologies, a private aerospace engineering services company has filed for a patent for airplane seats at the top of a plane.

Windspeed, which bills itself as a “premier aerospace engineering services company”, has released on its website details of a system called SkyDeck that allows passengers to experience 360-degree views up in the air. The design concept features Continue reading →

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Hoverboards Banned by Major US Airlines

Posted on December 14, 2015 by editor

800px-Hover_boardHoverboards may be gaining popularity as a Christmas gift this year, but they’re falling out of favor with the major US airlines.

If you’re getting one of those electric self-balancing scooters, known as hoverboards, for the holidays this year, don’t count on flying with it. The biggest air carriers in the United States have now banned passengers from bringing them on flights because of the risk of overheating and fires. Continue reading →

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LiFi Internet, 100 Times Faster Than WiFi, Coming Onboard Planes

Posted on December 7, 2015 by editor

800px-Light_BulbAirlines may soon use a new method of delivering data: lightbulbs that can deliver internet speeds 100 times faster than traditional wi-fi. The new  wireless technology Li-Fi is similar to Wi-Fi. It allows data to be sent at high speeds using visible light communication (VLC).

The new technology has several advantages over Wi-Fi. It offers greater security on local networks as light cannot pass through walls, which means there is less interference between devices. One of the most significant advantages, however, is the speed that the technology provides. Researchers have achieved speeds of 224 gigabits per second in lab conditions. Continue reading →

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Airbus to Create Detachable Cabins That Cut Plane Boarding Times

Posted on November 30, 2015 by editor

800px-Frontier_Airlines_Fawn_Airbus_A318-111_N808FRAirbus has come up with a new idea for getting people into planes faster. French aircraft maker has filed a patent for a detached cabin that might become the fastest way to board a plane and definitely the most creative.

Dubbed “the aircraft pod concept” by Airbus, the invention will allow planes to be modified quickly and easily. The passengers would board a removable cabin module from a docking station. Then they would be able to seat in advance of a plane’s arrival while ground crews store their luggage. Each module consists of a first and second end wall, an upper aircraft fuselage connected to the floor, seats and even cargo department. Continue reading →

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Tesla Recalls 90,000 Model S Cars to Check Seat Belts

Posted on November 23, 2015 by editor

450px-SeatbeltTesla Motors is conducting its largest ever recall of all 90,000 Model S battery powered luxury sedans.

Tesla is recalling every Model S it has ever made to check for a potential problem with the front seat belt assemblies, and if necessary, to fix it, the company said only a few days ago. The recall is because of a single report to the company in Europe in early November. It was reported of a seatbelt assembly breaking after a customer sitting in the front passenger seat of a Model S turned to talk to people in the rear seat.

According to a Tesla spokesperson, Continue reading →

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Self-Driving Buses Coming to America in 2016

Posted on November 16, 2015 by editor

468px-TransLink_Flag_Pole_Bus_Stop_SignIt seems the self-driving future is coming far sooner than we might have expected.

The Bishop Ranch- a suburban office park in San Ramon, California will be the first place in the U.S. to use driverless shuttles.  The 500-acre office park is home to the headquarters of companies like Chevron, PG&E, AT&T, General Electric and other big corporations. A fleet of self-driving buses will shuttle employees around California’s Bay Area.

The robo buses are designed by a French company called EasyMile, which is a joint venture between carmaker Ligier Group and high-tech company Robosoft. EasyMile has partnered with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority on the pilot project. Continue reading →

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Skype Founders Invent Robot That Delivers Groceries for Only $1

Posted on November 9, 2015 by editor

307px-Shopping_cart_with_food_clip_art_2.svgForget the drones and meet the new delivery robot. While companies like Google and Amazon create delivery airborne drones, two of the founders of Skype believe deliveries will stay firmly on the ground.

A new company called Starship Technologies is definitely going to disrupt local delivery with an autonomous robot that will deliver groceries to your doorstep in under 30 minutes for less than $1 and then it will text you a message to announce its arrival.

The Starship robot has been developed by Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis. The six-wheel robot drives on pavements at an average speed of 4mph. Continue reading →

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Meet Kirobo Mini – a Companion Robot from Toyota

Posted on November 2, 2015 by editor

800px-Nao_humanoid_robotAre you often lonely on the road? Do you sometimes need a companion while driving? What about a robot companion?

Toyota is working on a tiny human robot that could gesture, read your mood and talk to you while you drive, aiding you with tips and providing emotional support when needed. It is 4-inch tall and looks like a cute astronaut. Dubbed Kirobo Mini, the robot is actually small enough to be installed into your car’s cup holder. Continue reading →

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California Bullet Train Project Likely to Miss Target Deadline and Exceed Budget

Posted on October 25, 2015 by editor

800px-Lotus_Illinois_railroad_tracksThe $68-billion California bullet train project will encounter serious setbacks: tunneling, financing, total cost, land acquisition, legal and environmental challenges.The project will hit many snags and it will definitely overshoot budget and deadline targets.

It will be the most ambitious tunneling project in the nation’s history. One of the challenges, and probably the biggest one Continue reading →

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